JMBLYA music festival hits Austin

JMBLYA attendees eagerly awaited the opening of the front gates May 5. Nothing from the crowds of people to the burning sun could have killed the shared excitement of the audience.

For the second year in a row, the Austin showing of the JMBLYA music festival was hosted at Circuit of the America’s 2-11p.m.

JMBLYA hosted two stages for the first time, alternating between the performing artist. Multiple food venues and free water bottles kept the audience hydrated during the event.

Amanda Cruz attended the festival. She decided to go this year because of the lineup of rappers.

“(JMBLYA) is pretty cool. I will definitely be coming back next year,” Cruz said.

Killy, Jack Harlow, Cozz and Ski Mask the Slump God were openers while the sun was still up. They distracted the crowd from the scorching heat and pumped them up for the main headliners.

“I’m going to be honest, y’ll are way better than the Dallas’ (crowd),” Cozz said.

Just when fans of Trippie Red were becoming really disappointed he was a no show, the red haired performer came out about 35 minutes late to his set. Nevertheless his fans were forgiving, singing to his songs.

It was around the time when Play Boi Carti performed that attendees began to decide what stage they would commit to so they could work their way to a good spot for the next four big artist- T.I., Young Thug, Migos and J. Cole.

Kaylee Bennet went with her friends to the festival and they decided on a stage that would get the best view of J. Cole from general admission.

“The best part has been getting as close as we did,” Bennet said. “We got shoved a lot but it was worth it.”

T.I. went on after Kevin Gates canceled three days before the festival. He threw it back to hits the crowd sang along to such “Live Your Life” and “Whatever You Like.”

It began getting dark when Young Thug performed, and the crowd was getting wild with mosh pits. VIP was a slightly calmer group with less people and closer proximity to the stage than general admission.

Migos performed next. The three group members bounced around the entirety of the stage. They sang their popular hits as well as the newer songs on their latest album, “Culture II.” They included MotorSport and Bodak Yellow as a tribute to Cardi B, who canceled her performance due to her pregnancy.

J. Cole ended the night with a performance that emphasized the importance of love. He talked about it often during his set, captivating the audience.

His album “KOD” was released last month, allowing the audience to hear his latest songs performed live. He started with original hits from his older albums. Before performing his newer album, he joked he might not even remember some of the words.

He ended the night with fan favorites like “No Role Modelz” and “Wet Dreams.”

Jazzy Williams, an austin resident, went to JMBLYA for her first time after learning J. Cole would be a headliner.

“His performance was full of energy and it made me fall in love with him even more,” Williams said. “I love the feel of his new songs, but also his old ones.”

After the closing acts, attendees left with buzzing ears and tired legs, fully aware this was a day they would never forget.